CONSERVATION

The conservation of wild places and the wildlife that live there has never been more important than it is today. The number of threatened and endangered species is growing, so it is critical that we do all we can to turn this around. By educating ourselves and by taking part in expeditions, tours and courses we are directly contributing to that conservation effort, and as such helping to preserve nature and wilderness.

With an ethos of conservation education underpinning our international adventures, every group can have the opportunity to observe wildlife in their natural habitats and get hands-on with animals at specialist facilities and game reserves if required. These life enhancing experiences can be achieved on foot or by vehicle and alongside conservation professionals, rangers, guides, vets and other field specialists. This ensures your experience ends with not just the visual experiences of the African bush but the essential knowledge to go alongside those experiences. This experiential learning will give you the knowledge to take some action when you return home should you wish to.

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CONSERVATION UPDATES

When you think about deadly, dangerous snakes, the first thing that might come to your mind is their venom. However, many people are unaware that there are non-venomous snakes that are equally dangerous. One example is the African Rock Python (Python sebae), notorious for its nasty temperament. The African rock python is the largest snake in Africa. It is also considered to be among the six largest snake in the world together with…

Do you know that the white rhino is not white in colour? The white rhino is actually a slate grey colour. It got its name when English-speaking settlers in Africa misheard the word “wijd” (Afrikaan for Wide) with “white” rhino. It is just one of the five species of rhinoceros on earth. The other three are the Javan, Indian, and Sumatran which can be found in Asian swamps and tropical forests. The last one is…

At first look, what you’ll notice about this animal is its majestic spiral horns atop its regal head. These horns are the greater kudu’s crowning glory making it stand out from other antelopes in Africa. But do you know that not all greater kudus have these corkscrew horns? Let’s get to know this animal further by checking out these facts. Quick Bio: The greater kudu (Tragelaphus Strepsiceros) comes from the Bovidae family. It…

Africa Painted Dogs have been recently proclaimed as endangered. That’s why it was such an honour to have an opportunity to secure an exclusive interview with one of them. Kindly Introduce Yourself Hi! I am called an African Painted Dog, because obviously, you can find me and my species in Africa. Others call me African Wild Dog, Painted Hunting Dog, Painted Wolf, African Hunting Dog, and sometimes I’m also being called as Cape Hunting…

African Elephants (Loxodonta Africana) are the largest land animals on Earth. These magnificent giants are slightly larger than Asian elephants and can be found roaming countries in sub-Saharan Africa. There are many interesting anecdotes about elephants. In some cultures, people consider elephants as a lucky symbol for prosperity and business. This is why many elephant sculptures and paintings are often seen displayed in many homes and commercial establishments. Elephants are also recognized…

While leopards can be found in many countries in Africa, a sighting of this awe-inspiring animal never ceases to be an amazing experience, even for wildlife environmentalists. Its beautiful spotted coat and its graceful movements hold a contained power that is unique from other big cats. A few weeks ago, the Africa Wild Trails team discovered leopards in one of the places they have positioned their camera traps. Camera traps are remotely activated cameras equipped…

The bold black and white patterns that swathe a zebra’s coat is nothing short of amazing. While it was previously believed that zebras were white animals with black stripes and underbellies, it has since been concluded that zebras are black with white stripes. This same iconic design has inspired many theories that speculate why zebras have stripes. Even renowned biologists Charles Darwin and Alfred Wallace famously debated about this issue back in the 1870s. According…

There are various methods wildlife environmentalists employ to strengthen conservation efforts. No one way could single-handedly win the battle against illegal poaching in the same way there isn’t a single solution to climate change. One device that is used in wildlife conservation is the tracking collar. But what is a tracking collar? A tracking collar is a device attached to the neck or to the limb of an animal. It is primarily used to monitor…

Technology has enabled many conveniences that help us in our daily lives. One of these innovations that has many applications is drone technology. But do you know that drones could also be used to support wildlife conservation efforts? What is a Drone? A drone is an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle or UAV. It is also referred to as an RPA or Remotely Piloted Aircraft, which means that it could be flown without any human pilot aboard…

The giraffe is one of the most breathtaking animals to ever walk planet Earth. Its graceful long neck, slender legs and distinctive spotted coat lend it a majestic presence. Being one of the more familiar large mammals, it is then quite surprising to hear that the giraffe population is now threatened. So, are giraffes considered an endangered species? Let’s look at the facts. Giraffes by the Numbers Less than 100,000 giraffes roam the wild. That…

If you’ve never seen a rhino up close before, you might think that they are aggressive especially as they are the second largest land mammals after elephants. But in reality, rhinos are actually shy and prefer to be left alone in peace. However, the onslaught of poaching has endangered the existence of their species. In March this year, Sudan, the last male northern white rhino died of old age and health complications. Sudan’s death put…

The South African Giraffe Monitoring and Research Expedition 2018 was the first SES Endorsed Expedition. Read Angus’s talk about the project at February’s SES@GauchoCity for SES Members. Zingela’s Giraffe The Methodology and Importance of Identifying Individuals in Conservation Zingela is a 500,000 HA reserve located in Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa. It is debated as to the number of species of Giraffe that Africa is home to, however the population as a whole has decreased by 40%…

An ideal summer experience for Bioscience, Conservation and Photography students, giving you vital skills collecting data in the field and increasing your employability. Dates: 02.08.2019 – 15.08.2019 Location: South Africa Synopsis: This field project will focus on the gathering of information on Nile Crocodile movements, nesting, overwintering sites in KwaZulu Natal. Also population size in comparison to the last 20 years, current and historic threats to the species conservation, critical hands on data collection, the…

Ideal for Bioscience, Conservation and Photography students, giving you vital skills collecting data in the field, increasing your knowledge base, choices and employability. Dates: 18.07.2019 – 31.07.2019 Location: South Africa Synopsis: This scientific field project focuses on gathering information on the movement patterns, habitat use and foraging behaviour of the Giraffe in the remote area of the Tugela River Valley, KwaZulu Natal, South Africa. Participants will operate from a field camp, on foot, gathering data…

The loss of 30% of the world’s Giraffe population in the last 30 years has resulted in the species being classified as ‘vulnerable’ on the ICUN Red List. During the next six months, Angus Wingfield (Expedition Leader and Africa Wild Trails founder) will be touring the UK delivering free talks to students on Giraffe conservation field work in Africa. Download Our PDF for More Information or to Schedule a Talk: Contact Us Call Us

Giraffes are vulnerable species due to hunting, poaching and habitat loss.Become involved and help the ‘Giraffe’ conservation… Download our PDF and find out more about our Giraffe Research Project – August 2018 For further information and the booking request form please email info@africawildtrails.com

The talk this month for the Scientific Exploration Society was on KwaZulu Natal, an incredibly diverse province on the eastern seaboard of South Africa. Angus Wingfield (expedition leader, conservationist and Director of Africa Wild Trails) talked on the provinces history, it’s people and conservation challenges as well as Angus’ own ethos and involvement in the region during the last 15 years. Starting with an overview of the San Bushman and the Nguni migration, Angus went…

INTRODUCTION The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has assessed Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) as Vulnerable following a population decline of 36-40% over the last three decades. The factors causing this decline (levels of exploitation and decline in area of occupancy and habitat quality) have not ceased and may not be reversible throughout the species’ range. Historically the species has been overlooked in terms of research and conservation, but in the past five years,…

UPDATE: The August Giraffe research project is now full. The SES (Scientific Exploration Society) are keen to run one this June (1st-12th) – more information to follow. We currently have 10 confirmed on each of the following research projects: Nile Crocodile Research Project South African Giraffe Research Project We have a total 15 places available on each – if you’re interested, get in contact with us ASAP, so you don’t miss out on this great opportunity, for…

Having travelled extensively in Africa over many years and met many people from conservationists, hunters, game reserve owners, ecologists to other travellers, it appears, of course, that there is no single answer to the Rhino poaching crisis. What ‘is’ currently a fact is that because a Rhino must be killed by a poacher in order to take the horn, that Rhino is currently worth more dead than it is alive and that needs to change,…

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Who Are They? The San or Saan People who are also known as the “Bushmen”, are the indigenous people of Africa and believed to be the oldest inhabitants of Africa. They are known to be the descendants of the first modern man or Homo sapiens. Their name “Bushmen” came from the Dutch term “bosiesman”…

A lot of people these days are engaged in hiking, backpacking, kayaking, mountaineering, and many other outdoor activities available. We do it for adventure, camaraderie, challenge, exercise, competition and just the desire to get out into nature. You may be able to manage a short hike or an overnight camping trip near where you…

Camping is a great recreational activity held outdoors that can benefit us in so many ways including our physical, social, and mental wellbeing. It is fun, enjoyable, and challenging but it could also be uncomfortable if one is not prepared or one does not know what to do. Most people think about where…